Renegades–foiled in their attempt to kidnap the princess–steal the children of Cadbury Castle to sell as slaves. Guinevere and Cedwyn vow to rescue the children, but a miscalculation puts them all in more danger.

As the plan quickly unravels, Cedwyn chooses to turn his dream of becoming a knight into reality.
Will their courage be strong enough to survive, or will one make the ultimate sacrifice?

Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend is available to purchase on Amazon.com.

Guest Post

Why Read Mythology’s Myths and Legends?

By Cheryl Carpinello

I love mythology with all its myths and legends especially those that tell of heroes, monsters, and ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. These stories take me to ancient and sometimes magical worlds, introduce me to characters I can cheer on or boo, and challenge me to understand myself more and to see the world I live in from a different view. Moreover, the stories provide guidelines for just being a good person.

My favorite stories are many, but I’d like to share with you the ones that I believe are worth reading and learning more about.

The first comes from the mythology of Ancient Greece. Running throughout so many of the stories is respect for others. Guests are never refused shelter, food, or drink. They have the run of your home and are always treated with respect. Even when suitors swarm down on Odysseus home in pursuit of his wife, they are not turned away. Queen Penelope and her son have the best beef slaughtered and an endless supply of Odysseus’ wine served to them.

This is all done because one time a guest, who was a god in disguise, was refused food and drink. The guilty party was quickly dispatched. Today we take care to instill in our children that guests are served first and friends are allowed to choose what to play when at our house.

The second is Sophocles’ Antigone. Talk about family dynamics. Antigone’s sacrifice, made to preserve the honor of and illustrating the love for her brother, is all brought on by the pride or hubris of both her uncle and her.

Photo by fotografierende from Pexels

How different the outcome of the initial quarrel would have been if they had just stopped, sat down, and talked.

The third is the tale of Beowulf from Anglo-Saxon England. It is a favorite of mine. Set in the time of warrior societies, Beowulf and other kings of the time adhere to a strict code of rewarding their warriors for victories in battles and for loyalty to the kings.

It is a lively tale full of battles, monsters, slaying dragons, boasting, and glory. Only at the end does Beowulf come to realize that glory and honor are not worth dying for.

The fourth is the Legend of King Arthur. The stories here also stress loyalty and honor, but Arthur insists that his knights go further. They are instructed not only to do battle, but to help those in need, and to protect the weak which included ladies.

Also coming out of these tales is the idea that Might does not make Right. In other words, just because you are stronger, bigger, or smarter doesn’t mean that you are always in the right.

The last example always makes me chuckle when I think of it. (I am a bit strange:). We tell our children never to take things from strangers. Wonder where that came from? Try Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She took a poisoned apple from an old woman and ended up sleeping for a long time! Don’t talk to strangers!

Over the years of reading the myths and legends, I’ve come to see that much of the way we live and interact with others has roots in the literature of the past.

Let me leave you with a two-part question: As a child, what were you told would happen to you if you lied? Can you provide the source of this punishment?

About the Author

Cheryl Carpinello is an author, retired high school English teacher, and Colorado native. Since retiring from teaching, she’s been able to devote her time to writing and traveling. Although she may be away from teaching, she is still a teacher at heart and especially enjoys meeting with kids and talking with them about reading and writing. Cheryl hopes through her books she can inspire young readers and reader’s young-at-heart to read more.

Blog Tour with WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING

Tour Stops

October 15th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Be sure to stop by the launch day post for Cheryl Carpinello’s blog tour for her book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend where we interview the author and you have the chance to win a copy of the book.http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 16th @ Write Like Crazy
You’ll go nuts today over at Mary Jo Campbell’s blog where author Cheryl Carpinello talks about finding stories within stories as you write. Also you can enter to win a copy of the book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://www.writelikecrazy.com/

October 19th @ Lori’s Reading Corner
Visit Lori’s blog where you can read Cheryl Carpinello’s post about where her search for the Legend of King Arthur has taken her.http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/

October 19th @ Jill Sheets Blog
Visit Jill’s blog today where Cheryl Carpinello talks about the continuing popularity of the King Arthur Legend.https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

October 19th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
You’ll want to stock up your bookshelf once you visit by Veronica’s blog, where she reviews Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello.https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/

October 20th @ A New Look on BooksStop by Rae’s blog and take a glance at author Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post the importance of reading and understanding myths, legends, and mythology.https://anewlookonbooks.com/

October 22nd @ A New Look on BooksCome by Rae’s blog and get a new look on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://anewlookonbooks.com/

October 23rd @ A Day in the Life of a Mom
Stop by Ashley’s blog where she shares Cheryl’s guest post about do boys respond to reading and writing differently than girls? And what should parents do about that?https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

October 25th @ A Day in the Life of a Mom
Check out Ashley’s blog again where she shares her opinion on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

October 25th @ Fiction Thoughts
Stop by Emilie’s blog where she shares her opinion about the book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://www.fictionthoughts.com/

October 28th @ Leonard Tillman’s Blog
Stop by Leonard’s blog where he shares his thoughts on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.http://leonardtillerman.com/

October 29th @ A Storybook World
Journey to today’s blog post where Deirdra shares Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about how the author’s years as an educator led her to writing Tales & Legends, (or why the author writes Tales & Legends for Reluctant Reader).http://www.astorybookworld.com/

November 1st @ Look to the Western Sky
Make sure you look to Margo’s blog today where she interviews the author Cheryl Carpinello, author of the Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.http://margoldill.com/

November 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina Blog
Visit Anthony’s blog where he shares his thoughts about Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend and read an interview with the author.https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

November 3rd @ The World of My Imagination
Stop by Nicole’s blog where she shares her thoughts on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.
theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

November 4th @ Author Anthony Avina Blog
Stop by Anthony’s blog today where you can read author Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about whether it is really necessary for kids today to read the classics such as stories and plays from Ancient Greece, Rome and Shakespeare.https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

November 5th @ Coffee with Lacey
Grab a cup of your favorite brew, and join us at Lacey’s blog where Cheryl Carpinello talks about the definition of reading and what medium qualifies as actual reading.https://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com/

November 7th @ Choices
Visit Madeline Sharples’ blog where she shares Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about building characters that young readers bond with and how the author uses a combination of traits from my students over the years.http://madelinesharples.com/

November 8th @ Fiona Ingram’s Blog
Stop by Fiona’s blog where she interviews a character from Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

November 9th @ For the Hook of a Book
Make sure you stop by the book blog For the Hook of a Book and catch their review of Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://hookofabook.wordpress.com/

November 10th @ Chatty Patty’s Place
Stop by Patty’s blog where she spotlight’s Cheryl Carpinello’s book and also does a giveaway of the book for one lucky reader.http://www.chattypattysplace.com/

November 11th @ Bri’s Book Nook
Stop by Briennai’s blog where she shares her thoughts about Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.https://brisbooknook.wordpress.com/

November 18th @ David Chuka Blog
Stop by David’s blog where he interviews author Cheryl Carpinello about her and her book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend.http://davidchuka.com/blog-2/